I’m a big fan of coffee. I’ve always thought that the coffee that American served on board had an odd, flat but not necessarily bad, I think I like it, kind of taste, but let’s just say it’s not as good a most coffees available at lower altitudes. I have a friend that works at Southwest Airlines and he was telling me about all the research that Southwest went through before they improved their in-flight coffee offering and introduced their LIFT premium coffee service (it’s actually quite good, and the plane smells amazing when the coffee is brewing).

Now American is improving their coffee. Starting November 1, they’ll be serving complimentary Java City coffee on board their flights. From the press release:

As part of its complimentary onboard beverage service, American Airlines will offer Java City™ coffee to all its customers inflight beginning Nov. 1. The eco-friendly, hand-roasted blend is 100 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified™, grown on sustainably managed farms.

“We are committed to exploring greener options for all of our products, both inflight and on the ground, to enhance the travel experience for our loyal customers,” said Rob Friedman, American’s Vice President – Marketing. “Java City strikes the perfect balance by offering a high-quality, great-tasting, eco-friendly coffee.”

Coffee onboard American will now be served in 10 ounce cups. The new, larger cups are co-branded with Java City and the Rainforest Alliance logos in addition to the American brand.

Java City makes a great roast, I’m looking forward to seeing how it taste at 30,000 feet. BTW, if you’re flying next week and get a chance to try it, share your impressions.